How did Ruth St. Denis influence Martha Graham?

Ruth St. Denis significantly influenced Martha Graham through the Denishawn school and company, which St. Denis co-founded with Ted Shawn. Graham joined the school in 1916, where she was introduced to a diverse curriculum that explored global dance traditions, including Asian, folk, and Native American styles.1

Graham was particularly entranced by the religious mysticism of St. Denis. Furthermore, the Orientalism that pervaded the school’s aesthetic left a lasting impression, as Graham later mirrored these influences in her own early choreography.1

While Graham eventually rebelled against the school's eclecticism, St. Denis’s broader impact on the field was foundational. By emphasizing that dance should communicate philosophical ideas and spiritual meaning rather than serving as mere entertainment, St. Denis encouraged her students to experiment with non-balletic movements, ultimately helping to pave the way for the development of modern dance.2